The present invention relates to a media conversion apparatus for converting information formats into different media in a multimedia communication which integrates various kinds of information media such as voices, texts, images and so on.
In order to perform communication between different kinds of media in the multimedia communication, media conversions for converting the information formats or the like are necessary.
As for such kind of the media conversion apparatus, Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 4-302561 discloses a multimedia conversion system. The multimedia conversion system is provided with a signal processing unit for performing media conversions between different media, for example, between a voice and a text; and exchanging means for controlling the signal processing unit so as to convert into a signal coping with media of a destination terminal and sending the converted signal to the destination terminal, in a communication system connecting various kinds of media of a voice terminal, a text terminal and an image communication terminal.
A conventional media conversion apparatus has the signal processing unit which performs the media conversion for allowing inter communication between different media.
However, the conventional media conversion apparatus involves the following problems because the media conversion is performed regardless of quality of the media conversion, specifically, a processing time for the media conversion and an precision thereof.
The first problem is that results of the media conversion are not necessarily achieved within a processing time and with an accuracy, which are expected by users. This is because, in the conventional media conversion apparatus, requests of the users for the processing time of the media conversion and the precision thereof differ depending on communication contents and communication information, despite that the processing time and the precision of the signal processing unit serving as media conversion means are fixedly determined. For the media conversion apparatus which gives priority to the processing time, the precision is degraded, and for the media conversion apparatus which gives priority to the precision, the processing time is increased. The user could not determine the trade off between the processing time and the precision, conventionally.
The second problem is that the precision of the result of the media conversion is degraded depending on data processed by the media conversion apparatus because the features of specific algorithm performing the media conversion are reflected. For example, even if high precision algorithm were used in ideal circumferences, good tolerance to noises are not sometimes obtained. In such case, it will be sometimes difficult to perform the media conversion with a sufficiently high quality, when executing the multimedia communication.
Moreover, the third problem is that in the apparatus which particularly gives priority to the processing time to perform the media conversion on real time, no data is received from other users because the media conversion apparatus is occupied by one media conversion processing. Therefore, the conventional media conversion apparatus could not be used by a plurality of users.
The object of the present invention is to provide a multimedia conversion apparatus which is capable of performing a media conversion with a quality expected by users and particularly expected by receiving side users.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multimedia conversion apparatus which is capable of performing a media conversion without being affected by characteristics of a specified algorithm of the media conversion, when dealing with various kinds of input data.
Still further object of the present invention is to provide a multimedia conversion apparatus which is capable of being used by a plurality of users.